A number of car manufacturers are interested in developing the futuristic technology, too. The wheel is often regarded as the invention that paved the way for all other innovations created throughout history. The first “real” credit card was introduced in 1950 by The Diners Club. Is the Air Force's New 'Fighter' Even a Fighter? We learned how to resurrect the dead (via hologram), print vital organs, and order fresh bread from a vending machine. There's a new crew of mattress purveyors in town, and they've made it easy to get a good night sleep delivered right to your door. Hey, Siri—Are we alone in the universe? NG3 5RW, Notcutts Wheatcroft Tupac, Amy Winehouse, and Michael Jackson. Smart Watches adorned our wrists, mattresses came shipped in boxes, and that weird Boston Dynamics robot "dog" gave us some robo-apocalypse vibes. Not to mention that the entertainment aspect of computers is something that all of us are familiar with. Prior to 1959 cars only boasted two-point lap belts (and few drivers or passengers bothered to buckle up at all). By the end of that year the first web page appeared on the open internet and in 1991, the World Wide Web became available to the public. It was rebranded as simply “Facebook” and rolled out to other Universities (both in the US and the UK) in 2005. **As a credit broker we work with a panel of lenders and only offer products to help you fund your purchase. 1978 – Computer-Controlled Sewing Machine Invented. If you’d like to keep up with our latest products, offers and updates then sign up to our mailing list. The first instances of fans being used to help ovens cook food more quickly and evenly can be dated back to 1967. It cost around $20,000. Black & Decker introduced the first ever cordless power tool – an electric drill – in 1961. Launched in 2012, the Exeter Daily is a unique, independent, crowd-sourced, website dedicated to reporting community news. That’s a world I wouldn’t want to live in. Regulators are now tightening restrictions, which could make it more difficult to own and operate the flying machines. NG6 0JL, 431 Mapperley Plains From ancient tools to the latest digital advances, human inventions that changed the world and transformed life on earth. This resulted in Tempur-Pedic’s 1991 Swedish launch of the first ever memory foam mattress. U.S. Government Makes Powerful New Nuclear Fuel, The Best Work Gloves for Cold Winter Months, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. The compass was used since the 14th century, and is still represents the navigation system for some explorers, even though navigation has never been easier with the satellite signals coming from space straight to your phone. The rise of smart watches during the 2010s added one more screen to our oeuvre of gadgets, we're probably better for it. There are many inventions that exemplify innovation and have made strong contributions to life as it is now. It is without a doubt one of the most important things that mark the era we live in. Microsoft’s first ever operating system, Windows 1.0, was released in November 1985. From solar roof tiles to personalized wind turbines, we're excited to see where the democratization of green energy tech takes us. Email as we know it today first began to take shape in 1971, when Ray Tomlinson adapted the SNDMSG program so it could transmit messages from the mailbox of one computer to another. In the late 50s Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin was employed by Volvo to develop a safer replacement. The microwave revolutionised the way we cook and consume food (ready meals, anyone?) Today, we point out the 10 inventions that have had the most impact on human society. Although the idea of making molds to help improve vision has been around since at least the 1820s, and the first usable contact lenses were created and fitted to patients in 1888, the soft lenses we know of today – and that revolutionised comfort and safety for lens wearers – were patented in 1965. Nottingham The rise of the Impossible Burger and meats of its ilk have inspired, in equal measure, devotion, and disdain. The artificial turf commonly used in playing fields was invented, patented and sold in 1965, originally under the name “ChemGrass”. Not to be confused with 1970’s VCR, which was specifically for use by a TV station, Philips introduced the VHS – a video cassette format for home use – in 1972. After Alexander Graham Bell invented this device, only few people were in the possession of it. Always at the head of the portable audio industry (at least until Apple came along…) Sony launched the first ever portable CD player in 1984; just two years after launching its home CD player. First introduced to the world in 2012, the cronut changed the face of the sugary treat game. However, the oldest wheel found on the planet is estimated to be more than 5 thousand years old.